Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his letter of 21 October 2020 to the High Court Enforcement Officers Association, whether he sent a similar letter to enforcement officers for the county courts, and if he will publish it.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
HMCTS issued guidance to county court bailiffs instructing them not to enforce evictions in Local Alert Level Areas 2 (High) and 3 (Very High). This was consistent with the request that was made by the Secretary of State to the High Court Enforcement Officers Association in order to protect public health.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his section 1.21 of his guidance for landlords and tenants entitled Will bailiffs enforce evictions across the Christmas period, for which categories of cases evictions will be permitted to proceed during the period covered by the winter truce.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Government has announced that evictions should not be carried out in England and Wales in the run up to and over Christmas and the New Year, from 11 December until 11 January, except in the most serious circumstances, such as cases involving anti-social behaviour or domestic abuse. This will ensure vulnerable tenants are not forced from their homes at a time when public and local authorities may be dealing with the usual level of increased demand for services during this time. A short list of the categories of cases which will be exempted from this “winter pause” will be issued well in advance of the Christmas period.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to section 1.20 of his Department's Guidance for landlords and tenants, updated on 21 September 2020, when he plans to issue guidance to bailiffs to clarify that no enforcement of possession orders should proceed where local measures are in place to protect public health.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Government is clear that evictions should not be carried out in areas that are subject to a local lockdown that includes a restriction on gatherings in homes. This position has been set out in HMCTS’s operational guidance for County Court bailiffs and the High Court Enforcement Officers’ Association has confirmed to the Lord Chancellor that its members will also adhere to this approach.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department plans to reimburse Avon and Somerset Police for the cost of providing virtual remand hearings.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
COVID-19 has been the biggest peacetime challenge that our justice system has faced. Video Remand Hearings (VRH) have been an important tool to free up court capacity for trials which must take place in person. During a pandemic, anything which reduces the number of people travelling to court is the right thing to do for the safety of all those who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The roll out of VRH was rapid, and we are grateful to all of those that have engaged with it to ensure the continued operation of the criminal justice system.
I am aware of concerns over resourcing pressures. During this unprecedented time all parts of the criminal justice system have been required to operate in new ways to keep the public safe and ensure that justice is delivered. My Department is engaging with the police and Home Office to agree a way forward.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to fund all future provision of Virtual Remand Hearings by Avon and Somerset police.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
COVID-19 has been the biggest peacetime challenge that our justice system has faced. Video Remand Hearings (VRH) have been an important tool to free up court capacity for trials which must take place in person. During a pandemic, anything which reduces the number of people travelling to court is the right thing to do for the safety of all those who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The roll out of VRH was rapid, and we are grateful to all of those that have engaged with it to ensure the continued operation of the criminal justice system.
I am aware of concerns over resourcing pressures. During this unprecedented time all parts of the criminal justice system have been required to operate in new ways to keep the public safe and ensure that justice is delivered. My Department is engaging with the police and Home Office to agree a way forward.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference section 1.19 of his Department's Guidance for landlords and tenants, what plans he has to collect and publish data on the number of tenants and landlords who mark their possession claim COVID-19.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
HMCTS are working to collect data on various aspects of the possession process including the 'Covid marking' of cases. We have no plans at present to expand on the current published data which is available here https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/mortgage-and-landlord-possession-statistics.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what planning (a) his Department and (b) HM Courts and Tribunals Service have carried out for the future provision of virtual remand hearings in the Avon and Somerset area.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
COVID-19 has been the biggest peacetime challenge that our justice system has faced. Video Remand Hearings (VRH) have been an important tool to free up court capacity for trials which must take place in person. During a pandemic, anything which reduces the number of people travelling to court is the right thing to do for the safety of all those who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The roll out of VRH was rapid, and we are grateful to all of those that have engaged with it to ensure the continued operation of the criminal justice system.
I am aware of concerns over resourcing pressures. During this unprecedented time all parts of the criminal justice system have been required to operate in new ways to keep the public safe and ensure that justice is delivered. My Department is engaging with the police and Home Office to agree a way forward.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on courts of the Avon and Somerset Police being unable to provide virtual remand hearings.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
COVID-19 has been the biggest peacetime challenge that our justice system has faced. Video Remand Hearings (VRH) have been an important tool to free up court capacity for trials which must take place in person. During a pandemic, anything which reduces the number of people travelling to court is the right thing to do for the safety of all those who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The roll out of VRH was rapid, and we are grateful to all of those that have engaged with it to ensure the continued operation of the criminal justice system.
I am aware of concerns over resourcing pressures. During this unprecedented time all parts of the criminal justice system have been required to operate in new ways to keep the public safe and ensure that justice is delivered. My Department is engaging with the police and Home Office to agree a way forward.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of virtual remand hearings on police custody suites.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
COVID-19 has been the biggest peacetime challenge that our justice system has faced. Video Remand Hearings (VRH) have been an important tool to free up court capacity for trials which must take place in person. During a pandemic, anything which reduces the number of people travelling to court is the right thing to do for the safety of all those who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The roll out of VRH was rapid, and we are grateful to all of those that have engaged with it to ensure the continued operation of the criminal justice system.
I am aware of concerns over resourcing pressures. During this unprecedented time all parts of the criminal justice system have been required to operate in new ways to keep the public safe and ensure that justice is delivered. My Department is engaging with the police and Home Office to agree a way forward.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of orders for repossession of a residential property under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 that are currently live.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The information requested is not held centrally.